Governor McAuliffe Announces Global Guardian to Expand Corporate Headquarters in Fairfax County

RICHMOND - Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that Global Guardian, a provider of world-class security solutions, will invest $1.3 million to expand its corporate headquarters in Fairfax County. The company will invest in additional office space, new technology for its operations center and specialized workforce training for 22 new jobs.

“One of my top priorities is to strengthen Virginia’s standing as a universal leader in the security and technology industries,” said Governor McAuliffe. “With one of the highest concentrations of security professionals and technology experts in the country, the Commonwealth has become a world-class center for forward-looking businesses on the cutting edge of their respective disciplines. I am thrilled that this growing company will continue to benefit from the outstanding workforce and business climate that Virginia has to offer.”

“Fairfax County and the Northern Virginia region serve as fertile ground for the growing technology industry, and provide an unparalleled foundation for the security industry, which has long been ingrained in the local economy,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore. “With 55 percent of Virginians employed in the technology sector, Global Guardian is in the best region of the nation for its growing market. We are confident this expansion will attract new clients to its customer base and meaningfully contribute to the organization’s continued success.”

Global Guardian is a global security and risk management firm that provides protection for people, infrastructure and communications. The company offers an integrated suite of best-in-class security services that help clients identify and mitigate the risks of traveling and doing business both overseas and domestically. These services include cybersecurity, emergency and custom aviation, emergency response, intelligence and due diligence medical support and transportation, personnel tracking, security and transportation support, and video surveillance monitoring. Global Guardian seamlessly integrates as many of these capabilities as needed and delivers them 24 hours a day under the close guidance of its Operations Center in McLean. On February 9, the company announced its purchase of Air Ambulance Card, LLC, a Birmingham, Alabama-based firm that operates an air-medical evacuation program and provides air-medical transportation coordination services to clients.

“Fairfax County and the State of Virginia provide a fantastic environment to grow our business,” said Global Guardian CEO Dale Buckner. “There are countless opportunities in this region for a company with our capabilities. Additionally the local market is filled with motivated and talented people that have real world experience in security, government, and international business. The representatives from Fairfax County and the State of Virginia have been extremely helpful in working with us to take advantage of economic incentive programs available to help companies like ours grow and cultivate a strong workforce. The success we’ve experienced is in part due to the support we’ve received from the local and state governments. We’re thrilled to call Virginia our home.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership will support Global Guardian’s new job creation through its Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP). VJIP provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs or experiencing technological change to support employee training activities. As a business incentive supporting economic development, VJIP reduces the human resource costs of new and expanding companies. VJIP is state-funded, demonstrating Virginia’s commitment to enhancing job opportunities for its citizens.

“We are very pleased to see Global Guardian expanding in Fairfax County, because this is one of the few places anywhere that offers the workforce expertise and the technical capacity that a company like this needs to protect its clients around the world,” said Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.

"I'm pleased to learn that Global Guardian will be expanding its headquarters in my House District,” said Delegate Mark Keam. “Global Guardian provides innovative state-of-the-art global tracking and emergency response services to businesses and individuals who work or travel overseas. As more American businesses compete globally, it is critical that they are protected from harm on foreign soil. The technologies and services developed by this Tysons-based enterprise protect Americans overseas while providing good jobs in Virginia. It's a win-win deal!"